lady black
by M.S.Mithell
Summary: a bastard girl pretends to be a boy in order to join the night's watch and fulfill her brothers wish to join. but she finds that the watch is not what either of them thought.
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

My heart was beating faster than I was running. The rain was a soft sound in my ears, normally a pleasant sound that would pull me from my bedroom to stand and smell the perfection of the rain, letting the wonderful scent wash into my chambers, but right now, all it did was make it easier for my fathers men to find me, and I did not want to be found.

"TATIANA!" called my fathers right hand man. I skidded to a halt and looked out from behind a large tree as I saw Estos and a small group of men stop not far away.

"Lord Estos," said the high voice of a squire I knew well. "What will Lord Swann do if we do not return with her?" the squire asked in a rather frightened tone.

"Probably have our heads on pikes." Estos hissed to the boy. "So if you want to keep your head on, find the girl!" he snapped as he spun his horse around and eared the horse back the way they had came. I sighed and watched the rest spread out and rush in directions I was not headed in. I smiled at my luck and took off running as fast as I could towards the neared village or town I could fined, I needed new clothes and I needed them quickly.

It ran for almost twenty miles, and it was early morning before I found a house on the edge of the woods. I saw a man chopping wood in the morning air. The rain had stopped about two hours ago, but the mud was still very slippery and that was what made me fall…at first.

I had stepped out of the woods in hopes of approving the man and offering any money I had for new clothes and possibly a horse, but when the mud made me fall, I soon realized that I had been on the verge of collapsing as it were. My arms and legs were numb from the cold, I felt the pain in my feet, the slippers I had been wearing were not made for running through the woods, and my dress was torn and covered in dirt.

"Seven hells!" the man shouted as he rushed over to help me stand, but my body refused to stand. The man, who had to be in his mid to late thirties, scooped me up and carried me into the house, laying me on a bed as I heard a woman rushing about the house. I soon lost track of what was happening, as I slipped into unconsciousness.

I woke, the next day to find the woman of the house, sitting by the fire, knitting something I soon saw was a hat. When I sat up she turned and smiled at me.

"Thank the gods! Honel! Honel she is awake!" the woman called as she rushed over to me. I was in the middle of trying to stand when she pushed me back down. Either I was very weak, or the woman was very strong for he age. "Now you rest there!" she said firmly, like a chiding mother. "I will fetch you some soup." she said rushing off to go do so as the man from before came from around the door and walked around the corner to see me.

"We thought you might not make it." the man, Honel, I gathered, said putting his hands on his hips and looking me over.

"I need clothing and a horse. I have money, I can pay for whatever I am given, but I need a healthy horse, we will have a long ride." I said, a small smile on my face as the woman rushed over with a bowl of hot soup. The very steam from the soup near me made my stomach growl its damned to have it.

"You have to at least get healthy yourself child." the woman said. "I am sure that where ever you have to go will still be there in a day or two." she said, firmly. I was to busy putting as much as I could of the soup into my mouth, ignoring the slight scolding sensation as I did so.

"Where is it you want to get to so quickly?" Hanel asked, stepping forward as he looked me over. I smiled, whipping my lips clean on my slightly still dirty sleeve and handing the woman the bowl back thanking her.

"I am heading north towards the wall." I said as I tried to stand again, as if I could start walking now, but my still sore and tiered knees buckled some and I sat down again, shaking my head.

"What is for you at the wall?" Hanel asked as he helped me sit down again, looking confused. "They won't take a woman." he said simply.

I smiled and decided it wasn't best to tell them that they were probably likely to take a woman if they weren't aware she was one.


	2. Chapter 1

TATIANA

It was just to damn cold. I knew it was going to be cold, don't get me wrong, but I was now start to rethink this idea. It was so cold I could almost feel the blood turning to ice in my veins. The horse I had gotten from Hanel and his wife, Racer, was thinking the same thing, because the moment he saw smoke and started running for the gates of castle black, I tried to slow him, but he was too strong and two eager.

Racer and I blew past a couple of men who were walking up the road towards the gates, knocking them both into the snow as they did so. As the men cursed and shock their fists as Racer and I, I laughed and turned just in time to see a man standing in the middle of the gate, giving me a glare that might melt the ice on the wall if he wasn't careful with that thing.

"What are you doing here, boy?" he yelled in a very rude voice.

"I have come to join the night's watch!" I said proudly, throwing my arms in the air to show my eagerness. All of those near us laughed, but I simply kept smiling, no matter how much they laughed at me, they would never destroy my joy at finally being here. It had been a long hard road, and before the road it had been a fight to get away from my father, Gulian Swann, and his men. Hanel had helped me get what I need, horse, sword, some food for the road, I had sold parts of my dress and my hair for gold to get me here. My hair, which had been a kind of reddish blond and was clear to my waist, was now short and close to my head. I was wearing men's clothing, black, I thought might as well stock my new manly wardrobe with some black.

"Lucky for you boy, we are taking anyone we can get." the man said, stepping aside as Racer pranced into the castles front gates, eager for warmth. I was told to put Racer in the stables and then head to the dinning hall to met with the commander. I nodded and handed the reins to the man and then was lead by another, headed for the dinning hall quickly. Once there he pushed the door open and I followed, letting the doors shut with a loud BANG behind me, making me jump a little and I heard someone actually give a small scream. I turned to look and saw five men, three sitting, tow standing, one a large and plump man who looked terrified. Must have been the one who screamed.

"A new arrival, Lord Commander." the man, rather elderly, probably late fifties, said bowing some and giving a small smile to the larger of the men sitting, his hair was white and so was he, but no one was as pale or as scary looking as the men on his right.

"Thank you, Yue, would you send Ser Alliser here please." her said and the older man bowed a little and again and smiled, leaving the room.

I thanked him and he gave me an even wider grin as he skipped out of the room a little. I turned and looked to the men as the Commander waved me over. I obeyed quickly going over to stand next to the large boy. He was kind of shaking next to me, cowering the other way.

"What's your name boy?" the Commander asked. I had spent the whole trip practicing my voice, perfecting it so I sounded like a boy and not a girl, and I believed I had done a perfect job, and now was a time to show it.

"Tat Storm, Lord Commander." I said in the deep, rough voice.

"Storm? A bastard." a dark haired man on his left said looking me over a few times. "Your small, Storm, does that mean your quick?" he asked.

"Aye, I am." I said with a small smile. My brothers had all commented on how fast I was. My three half brothers were the only men ever in my life, that is, until I came here. Donnel and Balon were the only children of my fathers that his wife had born him, my elder brother, Bowen and I had been born of two servants that my father had bedded whilst his wife was away. Though our fathers identity had not been reveled until we were both almost ten, we had been close to Donnel and Balon before that.

"Good. We'll need it. Are you good with a sword?" the same dark haired man asked.

"Fair, I have been bested." I said honestly. My brothers often bested me, which made me glad because it meant they were living up to my request to not let me win. The three men looked me over again, the fat boy next to me did so too, I saw him do it out of the corner of my eye. I was half tempted to turn and scare him but I decided it was best not to do so in front of the Commander.

The Commander nodded "Put them into training." he said with another nod. I let a smile spread across my face, so wide it filled up every corner of my face with a smile. The large boy next to me gave a small groan, but I was to happy to care. We headed for the door as a man walked into the room.

"Ah, Ser Alliser, please take these boys to the training yard." the Commander said with a small nod. I turned from beaming at the Commander to turn beaming to Ser Alliser, excited to get started.

Ser Allister looked me over "What are you grinning at boy?" he snapped "You are a pretty boy aren't you." he said looking me over.

"It's understandable for you to be jealous." I said smiling at him. He glared at me, a purely hateful glare as he turned and headed out of the dinning hall and towards me future as the fat boy behind me sniffed.


	3. Chapter 3

TATIANA

I walked merrily into the training field and at once spotted four or five men I wanted to take on just to prove that I could take them. Alliser walked us over to a small group of men and looked to them.

"Tell them your names." Alliser said, rudely.

"Samwell Tarly, of hornhill, well I, I mean I was of hornhill. I've come to take the black." the large boy in front of my said, sounding grave.

"Come to take the black puddin'." One said and then all but one laughed. After a laugh they looked to me and I smiled.

"Tat Storm of Stonehelm." I stated. All four of the men stared at me like I was a piece of meat around a pack of starving dogs. I began to wonder how I would keep them off of my in the night when Ser Allister put Samwell into the fight. I watched as Allister made the other man beat him and I was a moment from speaking when another did.

"Enough! He yielded." the man said rushing forward and picking up Samwell. Though I feared for Samwell for a moment he was no kinder to him than man beating him a moment ago had been.

"Looks like the bastards in love." Alliser said, I glared at him hating every inch of the man I saw. I decided that my first act as a member of the nights watch was to dampen all of this underclothing so that when he woke to dress they were all frozen.

"All right than, Lord Snow, you want to defend your lady love? Let's make it an exercise. You two. Three ought to be enough to make lady piggy squeal. All you've got to do is get past the bastard." all three of them stepped forward

The fight began and I watched Jon take down the first two quickly but the third got the drop on him. I picked up one of the fallen sword and swung at the third man, whacking him hard on the side, I heard him groan and stumble back. I turned and saw the man protecting Samwell start at one man.

"Yield! I yield!" he cried, holding up his hands. I spun and pointed the sword to the small one who held his hands up as well.

"We're done for today. Go clean the armory. That's all your good for." Alliser said as he stormed off. I laughed and shock my head and smiled to the man next to me.

"Did he hurt you?" Samwell asked the man.

"I've had worse."

"You can call me Sam…if you want…my mother calls me Sam."

"It's not going to get any easier you know. You're going to have to get up and defend yourself." the man said.

"Why didn't you get up and fight?" Asked one of the other men.

"I wanted to. I just couldn't." Sam said, pitifully, and I did pity him.

"Why not?" the man demanded.

"I'm a coward." Sam said, dropping his head. "My father always says so."

"The Wall's not place for cowards." The man and I said together. They all looked at me and I looked at them but Sam went on.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I just… wanted to thank you." Sam gave him a small smile then waddled over to pick up his sword and smiled at me before he left. I smiled back and then looked to the others.

"A bloody coward." one said and I looked to him. He was big, he spat a lot when he talked and he seemed a little slow. "People saw us talking to him. Now they'll think we're cowards too." He said, only proving my thoughts correct.

"You're to stupid to be a coward." The smaller one said.

"You're too stupid to be a…"

"Quick now, before summer's over." The two had a little scuffle and ran off. I smiled at how quick and slippery the smaller one was.

I looked to the man I had fought with and held out my hand to him. "Tat Storm."

He looked me over a few times and then shock my hand. "Jon Snow." He said roughly.

"Ah, another bastard." I said grinning at him. "Good to know I'm not the only one." I said clapping his shoulder. He didn't smile. He walked off towards the armory and left me standing there feeling awkward. I followed after a moment and almost got ran over by the small boy as he ran from the larger one. I laughed as they rushed past me.

I found Sam in the armory, Jon wasn't there. I walked over to Sam and smiled. "Your first day could have been worse." I said trying to make him feel better.

"No it couldn't." He muttered, not meeting my eye. "You didn't fall down and cry."

"I've been trained." I said simply.

"I shouldn't be here." He sniffed.

"I shouldn't either." I said. Sam had no idea how much I shouldn't be here. "But I am. Might as well try to make it work." I said patting his back gently.

Sam looked up at me for the first time, his cheeks were shiny and wet and red. His eyes looked all over my face and avoided my eyes for a time before settling there. I smiled, trying to cheer him up. "How about I help you?" I suggested. I began to get excited. I loved projects and Sam seemed like a good one.

"Help me how?" He asked.

"I could teach you some tricks? Maybe show the best ways to disarm someone long enough for you to at least run if not over come them." I said, thinking of the many ways I knew. My brothers had refused to teach me much else at first, but I had put my foot down and stuck my sword at their throats to many times they decided to just teach me how to really fight.

"Y-You would?" He asked.

"Oh yeah." I said. I was a sucker for a project and Sam seemed like a real fun one. "But let's keep it between us, alright?" I said leaning in close and whispering to him because Jon just walked in. "Tonight, after everyone's asleep, I show you something that will shock and awe them all tomorrow." I said with a wide grin.

Sam nodded, looking excited as well. I patted his shoulder roughly, almost knocking him off his feet as I went over to a dark corner and removed the training armor and putting my cloak back on. First day and I was already making plans that could cause trouble. Was I trying to get caught?


End file.
